3rd Africa Rice Congress Theme 5: Innovation systems and ICT tools for rice value chain Mini symposium 1: Rice knowledge management using traditional media Author: Kabore

1. Do current ICTs fill the gender gap
in agricultural knowledge transfer?
Evidence from five African
countries
A. Kabore1, C. Raboanarielina,1 A.R. AgbohNoameshie,1 A. Touré1 and M. Misiko2
1Africa
Rice Center (AfricaRice), Cotonou, Benin
2International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

2. Outline
Introduction
Methodology
Findings and discussion
Conclusion
Lessons learned

3. Introduction
 Women are critical players in the agricultural sector
in SSA (70 - 80% of active farming population)
 Yet, women still face with problems of access and
control of resources for agricultural productivity
 FAO (2011) asserts that if women had better access
to resources, they could increase yields by 20-30%
 Resources very often are cited to mean
land, labour, equipment and capital
 Knowledge resources are often not mentioned or
only implied.

4. Introduction
 Mechanism used for the flow of knowledge resources is
sometime not gender-sensitive
 Limited capacity of extension officers:
 Fewer number of extension officers
 Fewer possibilities for updating knowledge
 Gender bias in agricultural extension and advisory
service delivery:
 Only 7% of extension officers are women in Africa (WDR,
2012)
 In Ghana, 12% of male-headed households received
extensions visits, versus 2 % of female-headed
households. In male-headed households, only 2% of
spouses received a visit (WDR, 2012)

5. Introduction
 ICT (radio, TV, mobile phone) development
offer new perspective to widen agricultural
information and knowledge transmission
 Can ICT offer an untapped potential to fill the
agric. extension gender gap and improve the
knowledge-transfer?

6. Methodology
 Study conducted in rice growing villages in the
targeted countries (10 villages in Guinea and 7 in
Cameroon)
 Questionnaire and Focus Group Discussions
used to gather data
 Stratified random sampling based on gender
(equal number of respondents - female & male
farmers targeted in the surveyed villages)
 Data analysis using SPSS (descriptive statistics
and t-test for comparing groups of men & women)

7. Is there a (gender) GAP in rice information
and knowledge transfer to smallholders
farmers?

8. Smallholder farmer access to rice information &
knowledge through conventional means
Guinea (N = 200)
Public agricultural extension
Agricultural NGO
Agricultural research
Farmer training Center
Seed companies/ agro-dealers
Cameroon (N = 100)
Public agricultural extension
Agricultural NGO
Agricultural research
Farmer training Center
Seed companies/ agro-dealers
Men (n=99)
Women (n=101)
Yes
No
Yes
No
2.4% 97.6%
5.9% 94.1%
2.1% 97.9%
5.9% 94.1%
1.0% 99.0%
3.0% 97.0%
100%
- 100%
100%
1.0% 99.5%
Men (n=53)
Yes
No
30.2% 69.8%
5.7% 94.3%
3.8% 96.2%
1.9% 98.1%
1.9% 98.1%
Women (n=47)
Yes
No
34.0% 66.0%
6.4% 93.6%
6.4% 93.6%
4.3% 95.7%
4.3% 95.7%

9. What opportunities do ICTs (i.e. radio, TV
and cellphone) offer to fill/ bridge this
GAP?

10. Access and ownership of media-related assets
(radio, television, mobile phones) in the survey areas?
Ownership of media-related assets in the surveyed households
Cameroon
N = 100
Men (n=53)
Women (n=47)
Guinea
N = 200
Men (n=53)
Women (n=47)
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Radio
77.4%
22.6%
78.7%
21.3%
TV Cellphone
50.9%
71.7%
49.1%
28.3%
69.6%
87.2%
30.4%
12.8%
Radio
TV Cellphone
100.0% 11.1%
55.6%
- 88.9%
44.4%
100.0% 5.9%
56.0%
- 94.1%
44.0%
Cameroon
• All media-related assets
owned by more than 50% of
both men & women
• Women seem to own more
media-related assets
• Cellphone is the 1st most
common media, radio the 2nd
Guinea
• Radio is the most important
and common media asset
own by both men & women
• Cellphone ownership - half
• TV is not widespread

11. Access and ownership of media-related assets (radio,
television, mobile phones) in the survey areas?
Ownership of media-related assets in the survey areas
Cameroon
N = 100
Men (n=53)
Women (n=47)
Guinea
N = 200
Men (n=53)
Women (n=47)
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Radio
77.4%
22.6%
78.7%
21.3%
TV Cellphone
50.9%
71.7%
49.1%
28.3%
69.6%
87.2%
30.4%
12.8%
Radio
TV Cellphone
100.0% 11.1%
55.6%
- 88.9%
44.4%
100.0% 5.9%
56.0%
- 94.1%
44.0%
Cameroon
• All media-related assets
owned by more than 50% of
both men & women
• Women seem to own more
media-related assets
• Cellphone is the 1st most
common media, radio the 2nd
Guinea
• Radio is the most important
and common media asset
own by both men & women
• Cellphone ownership - half
• TV is not widespread
Media-related assets (radio & cellphone and in least proportion TV) are commonly own by
both men & women. Does it imply that it is possible to harness those ICTs to enable learning
and enhance rice productivity?

12. How to harness ICT to enhance rice information
and knowledge sharing to improve rice
productivity?

13. Source of rice productivity enhancing
information and knowledge
Land preparation
Association/Union
ONG
NGO
TV
Cellphone
Farmer
Radio rurale
Agro-dealer
Women
Men
TV
Women
Men
Recherche
Radio
Union/ Association
Research (IRAD)
ANPROCA (ext)
Public Extension
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Cameroon
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120%
Guinea

14. Source of rice productivity enhancing
information and knowledge
Crop management
Association/Union
RTN
NGO
ONG
Cellphone
TV
Farmer
Agro-dealer
Women
Radio rurale
Women
Men
Men
TV
Recherche
Radio
Union/ Association
Research (IRAD)
ANPROCA (ext)
Public Extension
0%
20%
40%
Cameroon
60%
80%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120%
Guinea

15. Source of rice productivity enhancing
information and knowledge
Post harvest
Association/Union
RTG
NGO
ONG
Cellphone
TV
Farmer
Agro-dealer
Women
Radio rurale
Women
Men
Men
TV
Recherche
Radio
Union/ Association
Research (IRAD)
ANPROCA (ext)
Public Extension
0%
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Cameroon
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120%
Guinea

16. Source of rice productivity enhancing
information and knowledge
Marketing
Association/Union
RTG
NGO
ONG
Cellphone
TV
Farmer
Agro-dealer
Women
Radio rurale
Women
Men
Men
TV
Recherche
Radio
Union/ Association
Research (IRAD)
ANPROCA (ext)
Public Extension
0%
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Cameroon
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120%
Guinea

17. Conclusion
 Bring media to serve smallholders, especially women who
perform onerous rice activities
 For rice learning and development to be scaled out
effectively, smallholders should benefit from the potential of
ICT in agricultural development
 Using rural radio for agricultural information and knowledge
dissemination has proven to be a successful and gendersensitive initiative to increase the farmer outreach, fill the
agricultural extension gap not only for men but also for women
 Potential of rural radio esp. as platforms for better access to
rice information and knowledge

18. Lessons learned
 Encourage up-to-date agricultural information and
knowledge packaging under audio-visual tools to be used
for training (ToT, farmers…) and media
 Encourage use of ICTs to complement face-to-face
agricultural extension and advisory services to farmers
 Encourage extension staff to participate to radio broadcast
(interactive broadcasting)
 Combine adequately the use of radio, TV and mobile
phone for greater success (audio, visualization, interaction)
 Build an effective partnership with rural media to fill the
agricultural knowledge GAP and equitably reach men and
female farmers

19. Thank you!
Merci!